Central Steps, First Deep

You stand upon Moria's Central Steps, a 21' wide shallow cut stair circling around a great porphyry pillar which travels the height and depth of Durin's Chimney. The stairs are carved of alternating slabs of redstone and basalt. Beyond the edge of the steps is black space, cool and damp for the most part, but every now and again a draft of warmer air brushes past you from the depths of the chimney. The Steps both ascend and descend far beyond the limits of your vision. Arching stone spans provide a means to exit the central steps to the east and the west.

Contents:

Throuqoul

Takursh

Obvious exits:

West leads to Moria, Durin's Chimney, West Surface.

Down leads to Central Steps, Second Deep.

Up leads to Central Steps.

East leads to Moria, Durin's Chimney, East Surface.

Huh? (Type "help" for help.)

Grokor arrives from up the broad steps.

Grokor has arrived.

[<#24742>] In the flickering shadows created by the scattered torches, a shaded figure leans against the huge pillar in the middle of the chimney. From under a dark helmet, red eyes peer out into the darkness, looking for something... something that makes this figure hold a long spear tightly in his grip. Keeping watch, Takursh guards the central steps, from something...

[Throuqoul(#19697)] Smashing, fast steps can be heard from above. Someone is aproaching. Suddently a robed figur comes running down the stairs, he runs so fast, that ha almost falls forward. He scans around, this time he notice Takursh standing in the shadows here. He smiles at him and walks over to him with calm steps.

Garjin strides down the tunnels of Moria, his beady eyes glaring ahead carefully. Hearing some great commotion ahead, he slows his pace and peers carefully ahead. Sensing Uruks ahead, Garjin again walks into the room. Seeing the worthless pile of living elf-bile, Garjin scoffs at the meager warrior. He approaches the stairs and looks towards Takursh, "I see you have been made Guard, no doubt a position suitable of your rank. What is it that you guard Muzgak?"

[<#24742>] Takursh puffs up his chest a bit, and tilts his head to reply to the Valnul chieftain, with an edge of annoyance on his voice, "<Uruk> I am the commander of the guards of the mighty Burgapai, Chieftain. And as for my duty, I am watching these tunnels to dispose of the enemies of my great and wise chieftain, Vorshag. Also..." he smirks slightly as he speaks, "<Uruk> I herd stray snagas when they escape their duites." The smirk remains where it is, as he stares at Garjin.

Garjin laughs a very loud laugh at the Muzgak's claim and comment. He looks over towards the horrible smelling Burgapai next to Takursh. "Is it you that herds errant snagas, or is it the Swineherd attending his duties and herding you with the maggot-pigs to their pens. Have you yet told him that you are not the swine you appear?" Garjin smiles pleasantly, enjoying this verbal joust.

Throuqoul spins around as he hear the voice of Garjin. He faces him with a stinking breath of ale. He nods as Garjin asks him about the pig-stuff. When Garjin later insults Takursh he glares at Takursh waiting for his move. But Throuqoul just can't hold it...He bursts into laughter but try's to hide it for himself. He hides his face in his hands and peeks up at Takursh and continues to laugh.

[<#24742>] Takursh raises an offended eyebrow at the words of the insulent chieftain, and looks over to Throuqoul. He sighs, and then turns back toward Garjin, insulting words upon his lips. "<Uruk> If he wanted to herd pigs, I am sure your commons would be a much more productive place to look. After all..." he recalls then his last discussion, "<Uruk> Was it snagas or swine you bred with? I can never keep it straight..." The wicked smirk returns to his face as he makes a nod of recollection, "<Uruk> I remember, it was neither... I think it was... humans... or no? Please, mighty chieftain, "His words ooze with sarcasm once more, "<Uruk> Forgive me if I am wrong?"

A slight tremor racks Garjin's body, as the calm veil that he has worked to maintain is shattered at the thought of breeding with such vermin. With out so much as blinking, you sense the familiar rage that usually courses through this warrior chieftain. With eyes blazing a fierce crimson, out of nowhere you sense a heavy and cruelly barbed mace hurtling towards you. Garjin lets loose a most terrifying battle scream as he targets the head of the worthless snaga.

You attack Takursh with your Mace...

[Combat(#13388)->Garjin]

Your attack against Takursh mildly wounds him!

Throuqoul lies twisted on the ground screaming of laughter. He suddently hears the sound of metal clinching against leather. He looks up at the two orc who just started to fight eatchother. Throuqoul goes direct from the funny, to something serious as death. He slithers up in combat possision and draws his scimitar. Then he goes around Garjin with his scimitar ready to fall anytime. He waits for the right moment. He jumps a little, taking some un-countable steps to the left then right. Suddently with a scream of anger and with a stroke of rage, he foriously attacks Garjin.

Throuqoul attacks you with his Scimitar!...

...and you block his attack with your shield!

[<#24742>] Takursh perceives the mace coming toward him none too soon. As it swings toward his head, he starts to duck, but not quickly enough: the mace ricochets off of the top of his helmet, knocking his head toward the side a little, but not incredibly bad. Takursh backs down the stairs a few steps, and raises his spear into a defensive posture before his body. He smiles at the herder makes a swing at Garjin, and then strikes afterwords, darting the spear in toward his knee, planning to cripple the warrior badly.

Takursh attacks you with his Spear!...

...and he misses!

Grokor steps out of from the darkened wall, though far away still quite a striking figure. Garbed in the loose black robes of the shaman, there is something different about this orc. His face is pale, almost white, his eyes a deep shade of reddish black. Most striking however, is his helm. Atop it is a fierce point, giving this uruk almost a head over lesser ones, allowing him to almost rival a small uruk-hai. Striding forward, he outstretches his arms and speaks, fastening his gaze on each of the combatants in turn and speaks in a true, ringing voice, "Enough of this, it is not the time to fight." Downturning his maw into a frown, he shouts at Takursh, "Great Muzgak, why are you so insolent to your superior as to provoke him. He has attained his position by the balrog itself's choosing." Narrowing his eyes, furrowing his brow he calls at the back of the chieftan, "And you, glorious leader of the Valnul, why do you grace those beneath you with a fight they are unworthy of. All know you are more powerful than them, lessons or no." His tones are even, but not proud, rather, this peculiar orc speaks what he feels is the truth, so is uninhibited

Garjin thinks that these two ill-trained warriors of the Burgapai clan can scarcely do him enough damage before he kills one and leaves the other one to bleed to death. With an evil smile displaying the full array of yellowed teeth, he turns quickly as they begin to attack him, bringing his shield around in time to block the scimitar intended for his back, and still dodge away from the attack of the spear before him. His next atack is to the scimitar wielding fool that attacked the Chieftain without cause, his mace already in motion from the spinning motion. This time the evil weapon is heading towards the herder's ribs. Garjin speaks with a raspy voice, "Skai! So you wish to plummet down the stairs to the mines below with your blasphemous tribesman! So be it!"

You attack Throuqoul with your Mace...

[Combat(#13388)->Garjin]

Your attack against Throuqoul moderately wounds him!

Throuqoul smiles for himself as Garjin parries his attack. But the smile turns soon enough till a grin when he sees the mace coming flying against him. He jumps back to avoid the thing, but he's to slow. The mace hits him with awful power right in his chest. He flies back about 1 meter and rolls around on the floor. A loud scream is heard all over the area. He crinches and scratches his small, bleeding wound in the chest. He get's up in possition. He growls "You will pay dearly for this, chief!". He is just about to join the combat circle again when a strange voice can be heard. He turns his head and sees Grokor standing there talking wise. He listens to Grokors speech. But rage wins over all. So Throuqoul highers his scimitar and this time, points at Garjin's weapon arm.

Throuqoul attacks you with his Scimitar!...

...and he misses!

[<#24742>] Takursh turns slightly as he listens to the shaman speak, but does not hear him clearly. As he sees the mace slam into Throuqoul, he backs further down the stairs, putting more distance between himself and Garjin. Remembering what had happened to Grobar, Takursh edges away, not wanting to stay close enough to continue the attack. Though he thought at first he might win, his head now aches and Garjin is untouched. Still creeping down the steps, he speaks up, "<Uruk> Yes... shaman. It is truly a foolish thing for me to do." he then hollers in a louder, commanding voice, "<Uruk> Herder, cease, before he kills you!" Takursh then changes his tone of voice to a mocking one a he speaks to the chieftain... though he is still backing away down the steps, ever so slowly. "<Uruk> You hear him, Chieftain? What are you doing picking on us lowly uruks? Don't you feel ashamed?" Takursh smirks once more... yet his feet still carry him away... slowly...

Garjin's battle sense tells him that there is no more attack from behind him, and so he remains with his back to the stairs, facing the foolish herder, a very evil eye glares back at Throuqoul. "Skai! You were here shaman to witness their arrogance. They should die for their blasphemy, as many of the Burgapai have! You tell the Balrog and the Burgapai Chieftain that if but one more attack is made upon me, there will be war between the tribes! And THAT one" he turns to face Takursh creeping down the stairs, "That one will be to blame. I have no desire for war, so contain your tribesman." He glares both at the shaman and the insolent herder, secretly hoping that he will attack again.

Grokor moves a thoughtful, rotted milky-white hand to the top of the spike on his helm, rubbing it helpfully. Eyes flickering only slightly to the 'fleeing' member of the Burgapai he intones, almost ritualistically, "I am of the Erokrakur. We are neutral." Within the other hand he scratches on the bottom of his chin, long fingers trailing downwards so as to make him appear distinguished, "The way of the past should be respected, the erokrakur do not stand for subordinates going against the words of their superiors." Smiling slightly, he gives a sweeping bow at the waist, the wicked point of his helm pointing forwards as little as the tall shaman can manage. Gulping once, looking red-eyed up at the chieftan hopefully he states, "I am as ever, your loyal servant, Grokor, however I must be gone now to attend to my duties, if you would excuse me." The words are almost polite, and with another bow, he turns and carries himself away with surefooted steps.

Throuqoul is just about to swing his scimitar when the orders now comes from Takursh. He stops right away and lowers the weapon. He's bleeding freely from his wound in his chest. He glares at Takursh who cowarly slips down the stairs. "He spits in his direction and says "I worship me master more tan you doz! He's worth more than blood. You know that!" he screams out and takes some ragin steps against Takursh. Then he suddently remebers that he's right now entering Garjins combat circle. He jumps to the side fast, watching Garjin.

[<#24742>] Takursh laughs at the assembled orcs in a resounding tone, and then shouts at Throuqoul, "<Uruk> You simply do not know, snaga! It has begun!" Still laughing, Takursh whirls, and runs down the stairs at full speed, flying over the large steps on his descent. Even as he rounds the pillar, his laughter echoes off of the walls, until it fades into the distant shadows, lost along with so many other things.

Garjin watches the eyes of the herder who so foolishly steps in close to Garjin. It is obvious that he intends to persue the cowardly Takursh, so Garjin meerly watches carefully, only raising his mace slightly to give warning that if attacked again, or if this is an attempt at trickery, that he will not be deceived. Garjin so wishes the attack to resume, but will heed his words and those of the shaman and will not force the issue....at least not today. "I would watch where I am going little one, if you take more steps towards me, you will regret it with all your being." Garjin growls.

Throuqoul glare at Garjin, scared. All alone with a angry chieftain who easily could kill him. He looks after Takursh then back at Garjin. He stumbles "Eh..E-eh..u.." then he points after Takursh and screams to Garjin "I'll fetch him fer ya, um, I guess he" then he put's in the highest gas and runs as fast as he can down the stairs.

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